Fired Omaree officer appeals termination

An Albuquerque attorney is calling his client a sacrificial lamb for the city’s police department.

Sam Bregman represents former officer Gil Vigil, who was terminated Wednesday. Vigil was one of two officers who went to Omaree Varela’s house this past June.

They left without notifying Child Protective Services and didn’t listen to the 911 tape, despite a dispatcher asking the officers to do so. This was so they could get an understanding of the type of call they were dealing with.

"You guys seem like a good family, a decent family,” Vigil said at the time, wrapping up the call. “Just be careful what you guys say when you say stuff like that. I am going to overlook it right now."

The cops were logged on the call for about two hours but spent only 15 minutes at the home. Sources said the officers never pulled the boy aside or checked for physical abuse.

Months later, the 9-year-old boy died, allegedly beaten to death by his mother.

“I don’t know the specifics about how much time he was there, but Officer Vigil feels he did a thorough investigation,” said Bregman. "Officer Vigil absolutely believes he did a thorough investigation of the call and found no criminal wrongdoing at the time."

Bregman said Vigil isn’t responsible for Omaree’s death, and the whole thing is ludicrous. A termination letter was given to Vigil Wednesday, and Bregman said this is Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden’s attempt to appease public outcry regarding the boy’s death.